Representative Grant Wehrli Stands with House Republican Caucus in Opposition to Graduated Income Tax

February 27, 2019

State Representative Grant Wehrli (R-Naperville) stood with
members of the House Republican Leadership Team on Wednesday to announce the
House Republican Caucus’ unanimous opposition to Illinois Democrats’ latest
attempt to raise taxes on Illinois families. HR153,
which opposes moving Illinois from a flat income tax to a graduated income tax,
was filed on Wednesday with all 44 House Republicans listed as sponsors.

During his budget address last week, Governor JB Pritzker
said the implementation of the graduated income tax was a top priority this
year. During his speech, he said only the richest Illinoisans would pay more,
and he pointed to Wisconsin and Iowa as possible models. According to the
Illinois Policy Institute, those models would raise taxes on anyone earning
more than $26,100 (Wisconsin rates) or $46,500 (Iowa rates).

“We have yet to hear the Democrats’ definition of ‘richest
Illinoisans’,” said Wehrli. “They’re not talking because they know that in the
end, the middle class will have to pay more. They know that there simply aren’t
enough wealthy people to generate the kind of revenue they need to quench their
insatiable appetite for spending.”

Wehrli explained that Illinois already has one of the
highest combined tax burdens in the United States, and said if Democrats want
to raise taxes even further through a graduated income tax, they would have to
pass the legislation themselves so that they alone would be responsible for the
damage inflicted upon the middle class.

“The Democrats and Governor Pritzker are yet again proposing
an intellectually lazy solution to a very serious fiscal problem,” said Wehrli.
“We should be working collaboratively to grow the economy and create new
revenue through job growth. But instead, the majority party just wants to
continually look for more ways to raise taxes.”Click
here to watch a portion of Wehrli’s remarks from Wednesday’s press
conference. Click
here to watch the full press conference.